This invention generally relates to shortening in the form of solids such as pellets or chunks. The shortening is primarily vegetable oil in a solid form suitable for uses requiring a non-liquid which is still able to be poured or metered. More particularly, the invention relates to pelletized shortening and the like which resists clumping under room temperature conditions which are encountered in many uses. The pellets are formed by extruding a flow of solidified vegetable oil through extrusion orifices which impart a desired pellet size and shape upon passing therethrough.
Pourable shortening products are generally known. In one approach, shortening has been frozen and passed through a meat grinder in an effort to obtain solid shortening pellets. This approach is somewhat difficult and not particularly satisfactory such as from the point of view of consistency of product. Another approach is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,710. Hydrogenated fats are heated, rapidly chilled, treated and formed into small segments or pieces which are said to be particularly resistant to agglomeration at elevated temperatures. Such products can require involved processing conditions and equipment and can produce products having higher solid fat indices than required or desired for certain applications, particularly baking applications.